Lucas Perillo

AimWe evaluated the effects of forest island size, isolation and area in the landscape driving temporal changes of insect biodiversity in a mountaintop forest archipelago. We expected that (i) in smaller, less isolated forest islands, changes in insect composition are more prominent, primarily driven by gains over time; (ii) more forest in the landscape leads to increased gains of vagile species over time, regardless of forest island size and isolation; (iii) less vagile groups undergo heterogenisation, while highly vagile groups experience homogenisation due to differing dispersal capabilities.LocationEspinhaço Range Biosphere Reserve, Brazil.TaxonInsects.MethodsWe used ants, dung beetles, bees, wasps and butterflies as study models to represent a gradient of low‐to‐high dispersal capability. We evaluated the colonisation‐ and extirpation‐resultant components of temporal β‐diversity using area‐ and isolation‐related variables as predictors.ResultsDistinct colonisation‐ and extirpat...

Understanding community assembly in habitat patches requires an integrative approach, considering the potential role of local and regional factors and organisms' dispersal abilities among patches. For this, assessing the degree of species overlap between patches (nestedness) can be particularly informative, especially regarding different taxa and distinct patch properties. We assessed the potential role of landscape‐patch structure in shaping the nestedness patterns of five taxonomic groups with distinct dispersal abilities (ants, bees, dung beetles, fruit‐feeding butterflies and aculeate wasps). We collected insects from 11 forest patches in the Espinhaço mountain range in southeast Brazil. We assessed the potential contribution of three forest island attributes (size, distance and shape) to the nestedness of insect communities and then tested if metacommunities were significantly nested with respect to habitat (forest islands). Finally, we evaluated how species of each taxonom...

Recent studies have argued that changes in fire regimes in the 21st century are posing a major threat to global biodiversity. In this scenario, incorporating species’ physiological, ecological, and evolutionary traits with their local fire exposure might facilitate accurate identification of species most at risk from fire. Here, we developed a framework for identifying the animal species most vulnerable to extinction from fire-induced stress in the Brazilian savanna. The proposed framework addresses vulnerability from two components: (1) exposure, which refers to the frequency, extent, and magnitude to which a system or species experiences fire, and (2) sensitivity, which reflects how much species are affected by fire. Sensitivity is based on biological, physiological, and behavioral traits that can influence animals’ mortality “during” and “after” fire. We generated a Fire Vulnerability Index (FVI) that can be used to group species into four categories, ranging from extremely vulne...

Naturally fragmented landscapes are adequate systems for evaluating patterns and mechanisms that determine species distribution without confounding effects of anthropogenic fragmentation and habitat loss. We aimed to evaluate an ant metacommunity's spatiotemporal patterns in montane forest islands amid a grassland-dominated matrix. We assessed these patterns by deconstructing the ant metacommunity into forest-dependent and habitat generalist species. We sampled twice a year (summer and winter) over 2 years (2014 and 2015), using soil and arboreal pitfall traps, in fourteen forest islands (varying in size, shape, and connectivity) in the Espinhaço Range Biosphere Reserve, Brazil. We evaluated the relationship between ant species richness, composition (β-diversity), and predictor variables of forest island structure (canopy cover and understory density) and landscape structure (forest amount, number of forest islands, and shape). We sampled 99 ant species, 66.7% of which were classified as forest-dependent and 33.3% as habitat generalist species. We found that ant β-diversity was higher in space than in time, and that species composition variation in time (temporal β-diversity) differed between ant species groups. Both ant groups responded differently to forest island and landscape structure characteristics. Landscape structure seems to act as a spatial filter and the forest islands' local characteristics as an environmental filter, which jointly determine the local and regional diversity. We demonstrate the importance that forest archipelagos pose to ant metacommunity's structure and dynamics in montane tropical regions. Mountaintop conservation and management strategies must consider the forest island archipelago to maintain the biodiversity and the functioning of these systems.

Abstract A recent state provision allows quarzitic campo rupestre (QCR) set-asides as in-kind compensation for ironstone campo rupestre (ICR) suppression in the Atlantic Forest, which induces out-of-kind compensation. However, the recently published state provision defines no clear parameters to demonstrate “ecological equivalence” as an in-kind compensation. We evaluated whether there is ecological equivalence between and ICR and QCR in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We show marked geological, pedological, floristic, structural, and functional differences between ICR and QCR. There is evidence that the new compensation rules only partially offset loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services hosted by ICR, determining limited effectiveness of the legislation for ICR conservation in the Atlantic Forest. We conclude that the development of clear compensation parameters based on scientific evidence and quantitative indicators is a priority gap for the conservation of ICR under increasing mining pressure.

We rely on a unique dataset of Aculeata sampled in 12 mountains, covering 1200 km from south to north (nine degrees of latitude) and an elevational range from 1000 m up to 2000 m. In each locality (n=12 mountains) we selected two sample sites at different elevations, always in campo rupestre ecosystem, to test the elevation effect: one at the mountain base (Lower site: 1100 m) and another one near the mountain summit (Upper site: ranging from 1300 to 2000 m). We installed five trap sets 200 m apart from each other at each elevation mountain site, totalling 120 trap sets. Each set was composed by one malaise trap (to capture flying Acuelata; exposed in the field for 14 hours), four Moericke traps (yellow pan traps to capture pollinators; 48 hours each), and four pitfall traps (to capture ground Aculeata; 48 hours each) totalling 17,280 malaise trap hours, 23,040 Moericke, and 23,040 pitfall trap hours within the 120 trap sets. Each locality was sampled once, during the rainy season (...

Bee and wasp (Aculeata: Hymenoptera) data were collected in the southern region of the Espinhaco Mountain Range, southeastern Brazil. We selected six sites in a sequential altitudinal range (from 1000 to 2000 m a.s.l.) in campos rupestres domains. We used two different methods. The first one was Moericke traps. We installed 9 traps per altitude remaining 48 hours in the field (with 15 days interval during one year - November 2009 to October 2010). And trap nests, which were istalled trought the same years (180 trap nests in each altitude). Every 15 days, trap nests were inspected and all collected insects were deposited on Taxonomic collection of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Padroes de distribuicao dos insetos ao longo de gradientes altitudinais tem sido descritos para varias montanhas tropicais. Segundo a hipotese do gradiente altitudinal, a riqueza e abundância em especies tendem a diminuir em funcao da altitude. Aculeata e considerada linhagem monofiletica da ordem Hymenoptera. Sao importantes polinizadores, mas ha carencia de estudos sobre sua ecologia e distribuicao, sobretudo em ambientes altomontanos. Na Serra do Caraca, a vegetacao e bastante heterogenea, alem de possuir uma grande variacao altitudinal (850-2072 m), fato que possibilita estudos sobre distribuicao altitudinal de especies. Para verificar se a assembleia de Aculeata varia em estrutura ao longo do gradiente altitudinal, foram selecionadas seis altitudes nas quais foram distribuidos, entre Outubro de 2009 e Outubro de 2010, 180 ninhos-armadilha (em tempo integral por altitude) e nove armadilhas Moericke (armadas por 48 hrs de 15 em 15 dias). Uma armadilha Malaise ainda foi empregada ...

The literature provides different methodologies for collecting social wasps, including, flight intercept trap type Malaise and Attractive trap, however, there is no consensus on its use. In this respect, the aim of this study was to evaluate the best use of Malaise traps and Attractive trap in biodiversity work of social wasps, and generate a collection protocol for the use of these traps. The study was conducted in the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, east of the state of Minas Gerais, in the years 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004 and in the Botanical Garden of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, located in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, in years 2011, 2012 and 2013. Were collected 15 species using Malaise traps, and traps Attractive, 26 species of social wasps were collected. Although the negative aspects of both traps are useful complementary methodologies surveys varying social wasps and it is recommended to choose for use in accordance with the logistical field.

Abstract Reintroduced environments represent stressful conditions to plants that can be observed in different ways. We evaluated the relationships between fluctuating asymmetry (FA), herbivory, and plant ontogeny of Chamaecrista semaphora (Fabaceae) under ...

A recent state provision allows quarzitic campo rupestre (QCR) set-asides as in-kind compensation for ironstone campo rupestre (ICR) suppression in the Atlantic Forest, which induces out-of-kind compensation. However, the recently published state provision defines no clear parameters to demonstrate “ecological equivalence” as an in-kind compensation. We evaluated whether there is ecological equivalence between and ICR and QCR in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We show marked geological, pedological, floristic, structural, and functional differences between ICR and QCR. There is evidence that the new compensation rules only partially offset loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services hosted by ICR, determining limited effectiveness of the legislation for ICR conservation in the Atlantic Forest. We conclude that the development of clear compensation parameters based on scientific evidence and quantitative indicators is a priority gap for the conservation of ICR under increasing mining ...

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a non-native habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in southeast USA) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g. Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly due to uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species C. aurita, C. flaviceps, C. geoffroyi, C. jacchus, C. kuhlii, C. penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when use the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data.

From 2013 to 2016, a study using malaise was carried out throughout the Espinhaço Mountain range in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Bahia.  A total of 1,000 butterflies belonging to six families, namely Pieridae (n=353), Nymphalidae (n=274), Hesperiidae (n=205), Lycaenidae (n=139), Riodinidae (n=17), and Papilionidae (n=12), were captured during this period.  Because of the collecting method, most butterflies became mangled and resulted in faded colours, making them difficult to be identified.  Nevertheless, three interesting species were identified in the collected material as they were either threatened, endemic, or undescribed.  These new records highlight the importance of storing and making available all collected material, including bycatches, since this can provide important information for studies on ecology, taxonomy, and conservation.

Naturally fragmented landscapes provide suitable scenarios through which to investigate patch and landscape effects on biodiversity patterns in areas that are isolated from the disturbances usually associated with human-made fragments. We aimed to investigate the patch and landscape effects on the diversity of forest-dependent and matrix-tolerant dung beetles in a naturally fragmented landscape. We also assessed the influence that seasonal and vegetation variations had on these dung beetles. We sampled dung beetles during two summers and two winters in 14 forest islands of various sizes and shapes within a natural mountainous forest archipelago in southeast Brazil. We measured the patch and landscape variables based on high-resolution multispectral images of circular sectors with radii of 100, 250, and 500 m. We used generalized linear mixed models to relate dung beetle metrics to patch and landscape attributes. The interaction between canopy cover and season influenced both species...

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non‐detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non‐governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, muse...

(2009) Carmo et al. Anais do II Congresso Nacional das Licenciaturas. Read by researchers in: 100% Biological Sciences. Sob a tica epistemol gica e construtivista do conhecimento cient fico, este trabalho visou a implementar o ensino de ci ncias por investiga o, objetivando aproximar ...